Tabernacle
sculptorWorkshop of
Andrea della Robbia
(Florence, 1435 - 1525-1528, Florence)
Date1470s
Place MadeFlorence, Tuscany, Italy, Europe
MediumGlazed and polychromed terracotta with brass
Dimensions76 x 48 cm (29 15/16 x 18 7/8 in.)
ClassificationsSculpture
Credit LineIsabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston
Accession numberS27w68
Status
Not on viewWeb CommentaryA brass door encloses a small chamber that stored the host (consecrated bread symbolizing the body of Christ) before the ceremony of Mass. Just under the door can be seen palm fronds supporting a white disk, which represents the host.This sculpture is glazed in a technique adapted from traditional pottery. After an initial firing, the terracotta was coated with a white glaze and fired a second time. Individual colors were then added, each color fired separately at specific temperatures. The result was a glass-like coating that fused to the terracotta. In Florence, Luca della Robbia and his family invented an intense white glaze rich in tin oxide, as seen here. Because glazed terracotta was durable, such works could be installed outdoors or in public spaces.Another large-scale altarpiece in glazed terracotta, also by the della Robbia family, can be seen in this gallery.
Id725632
Last Updated8/15/24
EmbARK ObjectID12408
Source ID1533
Object/Provenance
